Photographing apparatus



Oct. 19 1926. 1,603,882

5. J. TWINING ET AL PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS 8. J. TWINING ET ALPHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS Filed June 22, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 S. J;TWINING ET AL PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS Oct. 19 1926. j 1,693,882

Filed June 22,, 1925 3 Sheets -Sheet 5 a7 92 .90 85 Patented Oct. 19,1926.

unrrso sta ns PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY J. TWINING, OF-LOS ANGELES,

AND FRIEND F. BAKER, 0F LANKERSHIM, CALI- FORNIA, ASSIGNORS TO UNZVERSALPICTURES CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEVJ YORK.

PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS.

Application filed June 22', 1925. Serial No. 38,745.

This invention relates to a machine for photographing titles or otherprinted matter which is to appear upon a film. Titles fall into twogeneral classes; the regular or usual titles and sub-titles, and themore elaborate titles known as art titles which are (EXJGCtCd to give anartistic effect when thrown upon the screen. The regular titles areusually uniform in size and appearance and large numbers may bephotographed at the same distance from the camera. Art titles var insize and appearance and are photographed at varying distances from thecan'iera so as to produce the desired effect. More. than one exposure isoften made on the same film in producing an art title.

The general object of this invention is to provide simple means-forinsuring that when an art title is to be photographed upon the film, itmay be given the desired size and accurately. aligned; and also toprovide the machine with means for facilitating the rapid i'ihotographing of the regular or common form of titles and sub-titles.One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple machine forsupporting a card or other device bearing the printed matter or titlewhich is to be photographed, provided with means for effectinglongitudinal and vertical adjustments of the card with respect to thecamera; also to provide means for tilting the card. In the preferredembodiment of the invention it includes a frame along which the cardsupport may be moved and one of the objects of the invention is toprovide means for enabling the card to be adjusted from the side of theframe near the card and also from the end of the frame near he positionof the camera.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means embodiedin the mechanism, which will facilitate its proper functioning in theadjustment of the card support longitudinally of the frame withoutnecessitating accurate fitting of certain parts in the mechanism; morespecifically this means operates to permit slight lateral movements ofthe card support or carriage with respect to the feed screw whicheffects the longitudinal movements of the carriage on the frame in thisway enabling the mechanism to operate effectively even if the feed screwand the longitudinal guides for the carriage are slightly outofalinement.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter. V

The invention consists in the novel parts and combination of parts to bedescribed hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce an efficientphotographing apparatus.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the followingspecification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out inthe appended claims:

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying our invention certainparts being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the platen of the machine and may beregarded also as a vertical cross section through the upper portion ofthe frame of the machine taken about in the plane of the line 22 ofFigure l, the lower portion of the machine being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of the carriage and illustrating details of mayemploy for effecting any movements of the carriage which may benecessary in properly positioning it for photographing the printedmatter on the card.

Fig. 4: is a horizontal section taken about on the line l-l of, Figure 6and further illustrating details of mechanism which we employ inconnection with a gaging screen which assists in properly alining thecard on its support or platen, certain parts being omitted.

Fig. 5 is a section upon an enlarged scale taken about on the line 5-5of Figure 4 and further illustrating these details.

Fig. 6 is a; rear elevation of the platen with its associated mechanismand showing the carriage and portions of the frame in cross section,certain parts being broken away.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective showing a corner of the platen andparticularly illustrating means which may be employed, if desired, forholding the card on the platen.

Fig 8 is a vertical section through the platen further illustrating oneof ing devices which is illustrated in Figure 7.

The apparatus comprises a frame 1 which may include end frame members2-2. This frame is preferably of elongated form and provided with meansfor supportmg and guiding the camera 3, and for supporting means which Ithese hold-' 22, the lower end of which is rotatably nounted at- 23 inthe upper end of the platenand guiding a carriage 4:, which may supportthe card 5 which is to be photographed. The frame also may include twohorizontal stay bars 6 and C w ich may be connected together by anintermediate frame member 8. If desired, the camera 3 may be sup portedon a fixed stand which is opposite to the carriage 4:, but we prefer tome i camera 3 upon a stand 9 which is g: so that it can be movedlongitudinal u the frame. i In order to provide for gui the stand 9 andthe carriage 4, we provite thenpper portion of the frame with twohorizontal guide bars 10, and the lower portion the camera stand 9 maybe formed into saddle 11 sliding on the upper sides of these bars 10,suitable clamping means 12 being provided for clamping the stand wheredesired.

Above the carriage we provide a platen 13 which is supported on thecarriage, and we provide means for adjusting tplaten in a verticaldirection and in a ho ontal direction. e also provide means for ti M rplaten on a horizontal axis. A construction is provided whereby these adnstm nts may f) be made from the end of the frame lcent the camera orfrom each side of the car riage. In order to accomplish th s, on t e 11)per side of the carriage, we provide a pair o transverse guide bars 14on which slides 'a platen-base 15, said platen-base being provided withguide sleeves 16 which slide on the bars 14.

This platen-base is preferably in the form of an A-frame, see Figure (3,and is constructed with means for enabling; the platen to be guidedup ordown. In the present instance the platen-base is provided with twovertical posts or guide bars 17, see Figure 6, and the platen is mountedto rotate on an axis ing transverse to or through the plane of theplaten; in the present instance it is supported on a horizontal pin 18mounted a platen carrier 19. This platen-oarrier is preferablyconstructed in the form spider, having arms with guide sleeves 20 toslide on the guide-bars 17. At the center of this spider we provide anut 2l, the threads of which engage a vertical adjusting base 15.

We provide means carried on the frame 1 for rotating this feed-screw inany la i H position that the platen base 15 may have on its guide bars14;. For this purpose we pro vide a pair of universal connections 2% and25, the former of which is attached to the lower end of the feed screw22 below its I bearing 23 and the latter of which is connected to avertical stub-shaft 26 which passes through the carri 4, see Figure 6.The universal joints 2i and 25 are formed at theends of an extensibleshaft including a the agency of a bevel gear 25) carried on its lowerend meshi'n with a bevel car 30 which is fixed for rotation in a bracket31 on the under side of the carriage, see Figure 3, and which'is splinedto slideron a longitudinal shaft which extends longitudinally of theframe. Atthe end of the frame adjacent the camera 3, a hand wheel 33 isattached to this shaft for rotating it at will. deans are also providedfor rotating this shaft 82 from each side of the carriage 4. This meansis in the form of a transverse shaft 34, see Figure which is rotatablymounted in the carriage and which is provided at its middle point with aspiral gear 35 which meshes with a similar spiral gear splined on theshaft The ends of the shaft 34 beyond the sides of the carriage 4 areprovided with hand wheels 37 for retating this shaft 34 at will.

The platen-base 15 may be adjusted transvesely of he frame, that is tosay it may be slid on its guide bars 14 by means of a traverse-screw 38,see Figure 6, on which runs a nut 39, and we provide a connectionbetween this nut 39 and the under side of the platen-base 15. Thisconnection is constructed in such a way that it will operate to i ipartmovement from the nut to the platen-base regardless of whether thetraverse-screw 3S and the guide bars 14 are accu rately alined with eachother. For this purpose we provide a pin 40 which projects up from theupper side of the nut and this pin slides in an opening or socket 41 inwhich it fits loosely, and which is formed in the under side of theplaten base 15. This traversescrew 38 is rotatably mounted in thecarriage l: and its ends beyond the sides of the car riage are providedwith hand wheels 42 for rotating it at will.

We also provide means for effecting the rotation of this traverse-screwfrom the end of. the frame near the camera. For this purpose we providea longitudinal shaft 43 rot tably mounted in the frame and provided witha hand wheel (not illustrated) at the end of the frame near the camera.This l wheel is similar to the hand wheel 33 aready described. Betweenthe shaft 43 ad the traverse-screw 38 we nrovide a con is rotatablymounted in the frame, and which may be rotated from the end of the frameby a rigid hand wheel 47, see. Figure 1. This feed screw 46 may berotated from the side of the frantic by means of either of twohand-wheels 47, see Figure 6, which are attached to a cross-shaftlScarrying a spiral gear 49 which meshes with a spiral gear 50 rigid onthe shaft of the feed screw 46.

On the feed screw 46 there is mounted a nut 51. and we provide aflexible connection between this nut and the carriage 4: which enablesthe carriage to have a limited amount of lateral movement with respectto the feed-screw. This enables the machine to be constructed withoutnecessitating a very accurate parallelism of the feed-screw l6 with theguide bars 10 on which the carriage slides. This flexible connectionpreferably comprises a pin 52 which projects up from the upper side ofthe nut and which has a sliding connection in a socket formed in aknuckle head 53. This knuckle hear-l is mounted to rotate on ahorizontal pin 54 which is carried in a bracket secured. on the underside of the carriage.

In order to effect the tilting of the platen at will on its pivotalsupport 18, we pro vide a swiveled nut 56 attached to the bark of theplaten, see Figure 6. Through this swivel-nut passes the tilting screw57 which is disposed in a substantially vertical position, its lower endbeing supported and mounted so that it can swivel in a swivelbearing 58attached to one of the arms of the iilaten-carrier or spider 19. Belowthe swivel bearing 58 the end of the tilting?- screw 57 has a universalconnection 59 with an extensible shaft composed of a sleeve shaft 60 andan inner shaft 61. The shaft sections 60 and 61 have a feather or splineconnection (not illustrated) enabling rotation to be imparted throughthem to the tilting-screw 57. The lower end of the shaft se tion 61 hasa universal connection 62 with a stub-shaft 63 which is rotatablymounted in a vertical position and passes through the carriage l. Thelower end of this stub-shaft carries a bevel gear Glwhich meshes with abevel gear 65 splined on a shaft (36 which extends longitudinally of theframe. and provided at the end of the frame with a hand wheel (notillustrated) similar to the hand wheel 33,

This shaft 06 may be rotated at will from the side of the carriagethrough the medium of a cross-shaft 67, see Figure 3, the ends of whichare provided with hand-wheels 68. This cross shaft 67 carries a spiralgear 68 which meshes with a similar spiral gear 69 splined on the shaft66.

If desired the card 5 may be simply pinned upon the face of the platen13 if the platen is made of wood, but I preferto provide holding devices70 on the face of These holding devices may be t spring such as thespring 74-; the spring exerts its pressure against a holding; plate 75to press the same down against the face of the platen. At their endsthose holding plates 75 may be turned upwardly so as to form guide lips76 to facilitate the introduction of the er ties of the card in theholders; these lips 76 may be used as handles to lift the holding plateswhen desired.

The apparatus is prov'ded with a s reen 77, see Figures 2 and 6, thefunction of which is to facilitate the proper positioning of the card 5when it is put in place on the platen. This gagirrr screen may beconstructed in any way which will provide a plurality of horizontallines at different levels, and a plurality. of spaced verticalintersecting guide lines or bars to be used in alin ne the printing ortitle '78. In the .nt instance this gaging frame is simply a rectangularframe with horizontal cross wires or lines 79 and vertical wires orlines 80. If desired, these lines 79 and 80 could be formed as lines ona transparent sheet. In addition to the lines 79 and 80 we provide thescreen with two diagonal lines or wirs 81, the intersection of whichindicates the geometrical center of the platen. that is to say, it willindi ate it when the screen is disposed in front of the platen.

The screen is supported on the carriae'e in such a way that when not inuse it is held in a withdrawn position, but when it is desired to useit, it may be advanced into position in front of the card 5. Vi e preferto suspend this screen on small wire cables or 'r-OfClS 82 which passaround pulleys 83 so that their other ends may be attached to counterweights 84L guided in vertical stanchions 85 which extend up from thecarriagze 4. These stanchions 85 operate as guides for the gagging-frame77.

In order to facilitate guiding the gagingframe, it is secured to asliding frame 86 composed of an upper bar 87 and a lower bar 88, saidbars being connected together i by vertical. tie-bars 89. Thecounterweights 84. more than counterbalance the weight of the gage-frameso that if it is not held down it will slide up automatically to itselevated position in which it is shown in Figure 6, In sliding, up inthis way the upward movement of the slide 86 will be arrested by rubberbumpers 90, which will be engaged by the upper bar 87 of the slidingframe. These bumpers 90 are carried on the under side of a crossbar 92which connects the stanchions 85, and if desired they may be made in theform of sleeves through which the wires or cables 8:? pass. In order tolatch the gage-screen 7 in its operating position we provided latchingdevice 93 see Figure which comprises latching plate 94 pivoted on across bar '91, and provided with a sp g constraining the plate into itslate ng p, on. This plate has an opening 90 through it, and as thescreen is pulled down the edge of this opening is engaged by a cam face97 on the end of a vertical pin 98, (t'nr aded for adjustment) which.projects down from the lower bar 88. This cam face '97 displaces thelatching plate '94 until it snaps into a notch 99 in the side of the pinat which time it lies over shoulder 100. This shoulder cooperates withthe latch to hold the screen down. The latching plate 94: may bereleased at will by means of two pull wires ml which extend over to eachof the frame where they are provided with eyes 102 whichmay be operatedby ones inger.

ln operating the apparatus to photograph an art title, the operatorplaces the card on the platen and secures it there; he then nds behindthe camera and observes the .1 through the finder of the camera. He 7now adjust the platen toward him or y from him by means of the proper,nid wheel near the camera until the title ms the desired size on thefilm. Then he f tusses the camera in the regular way and the position ofthe title with reto the cross wires in the finder. If title is notproperly aligned with reoet to the cross wires, the operator then turnsthe proper hand wheels for adjusting platen to the right or left or upor down. addition to this, if the title appears .in inclined positionwith respect to the cross es of the finder, the operator should moveproper hand wheel to tilt the platen il the title is exactly parallelwith the 'zontal cross wire.

l'v here a number of titles or sub-titles are to be photographed andwhich are not art titles, they would be printed on cards with e printingof a more or less uniform The operator takes one of the cards d securesit on the platen, and he pulls wn the screen 77 and latches it in frontof the card. l -e then leans around in font of the screen so that he canobserve whether the card is properly aligned with the gage lines on thescreen. He then m lies any necessary adjustments in the platen to aliand center the card using); the gage linesof the screen as a guide.llavi g done this, he releases the screen and permits it"to as cend, theoperator then closes a switch (not shown) which closes the motor circuitof the camera, operating to photograph the necessary number of'picturesupon the film. In this way a number of titles or subtitles can be veryrapidly photographed without necessitating the operators going to thecamera from his position near the platen.

If desired the frame of the screen 77 may be mounted on screws 77 inlarge holes in lugs (see Fig. 6). This will enable the screen to befixed permanently in any slightly adjusted position.

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention described hereinis only one of the many embodiments this invention may take, and we donot wish to be limited in the practice of the invention, nor in theclaims, to the particular embodiment set forth.

What we claim is:

1. In an apparatus for photographing titles or the like, the combinationof a frame, a carriage movably mounted on the frame, a platen supportedon the carriage for bold ing a card carrying the title, means for adjusting the platen in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, agauging frame independent of the platen with a plurality of horizontalgauging lines at different levels, and means for moving and guiding theframe and holding the same in position before the platen.

2. In an apparatus for photographing tit es or the like. the combinationof a frame, a carriage movably mounted on the frame, a platen supportedon the carriage for holding a card carryingthe title, means foradjusting the platen in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction,and a gauging frame guided on the carriage to move independently of theplaten and movable into position in front of the platen and havingsubstantially vertical and horizontal gauge lines for indicating thealinement ofthe card carrying the subtitle when fastened on the platen.

In an apparatus for photographing titles or the like, the combination ofa frame, a carriage movably mounted on the frame, a platen supported onthe carriage for holding a card carrying the title, means for adjustingthe platen in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, a gaugingframe guided on the carriage and movable into position in front of theplaten and having substantia-lly vertical and horizontal gauge lines forindicating the alinement of the card carrying the subtitle when fastenedon the platen, a counterweight operating to hold the screen normally ina position withdrawn from the face of the platemand a latch deice forlatching the screen'in position be- E'OIQ the platen.

4. In an apparatus for photographing titles or the like, the combinationof a frame, a carriage movably mounted on the frame, a platen supportedon the carriage for holda card carrying the title, a pair of tubularstanchions supported on the carriage,

C It

. ulle s. a au in screen suscnded on the J a o pulleys and movable intoposition before the platen, said screen having lines for alining thecard, and counterweights for the ganging screen guided within thetubular stanchions for withdrawing the gauging screen from before theplaten.

5. In an apparatus for photographing titles or the like, the combinationof a frame, a carriage movably mounted on the frame, a platen supportedon the carriage for holding a card carrying the title, a pair of tubularstanehions supported on the carriage, pulleys, a gauging screensuspended on the pulleys and movable into position before the platen,said screen having lines for alining the card, counterweights for thegauging screen guided within the tubular stanehions for withdrawing thegauging screen from before the platen, and means for latching the screenin position before the platen.

6. In an apparatus for photographing titles or the like, the combinationof an elongated frame having means forsupporting a camera, a. carriagemovably mounted on the frame, a platen supported on the carriage forholding a card carrying a title, means extending longitudinally of theframe for effecting adjustment of the platen in a horizontal directionand in a vertical direction, a hand-operated means for the same locatedat the end of the frame adjacent the camera, and operating means for thesame located at the side of the carriage.

7. In an apparatus for photographing titles or the like, the combinationof an elongated frame having means for supporting a 'amera. a carriagemounted to move longitudinally on the frame, a platen-carrier guided toslide vertically on the carriage, means for supporting theplaten-carrier on the carriage, said last named means being movablymounted transversely of the carriage, a platen, a pivot pin at the backof the platen for supporting the same to rotate on an axis extendingthrough the plane of the platen, and means for adjusting the platen onits pivotal support.

8. In an apparatus for photographing titles or the like, the combinationof a frame having means for supporting a camera, a carriage movablymounted on the frame, a platen base mounted to slide transversely on thecarriage, a. platen carrier guided for vertical movement on the platenbase, a platen mounted on the carrier to move about a horizontal axis,transverse to the plane of the platen and means operatable from the sideof the carriage for moving the platen base transversely on the frame,for adjusting the platen carrier vertically, and for adjusting theplaten on the said horizontal axis of rotation.

9. In an apparatus for photographing titles or the like, the combinationof a frame a carriage mounted to move along the frame, a platen-basemounted to move transverse- 1y on the carriage and having vertical guidebars, a platen-carrier guided on the guide bars, a platen supported onthe platencarrier for rotation on a horizontal axis transverse to theplane of the platen, a, swivelled nut carried by the platen, a tiltingscrew passing through the nut for tilting the platen, and means,for'supporting and actuating the tilting screw.

10.111 an apparatus for photographing titles or the like, thecombination of a frame, a carriage mounted to move along the frame. aplaten-base mounted to move transversely on the carriage and havingvertical guide bars, a platen-carrier guided on the guide bars, a platensupported on the platen-carrier for rotation on a horizontal axis, aswivelled nut carried by the platen, a tilting screw passing through thenut for tilting the platen, an extensible shaft including universaljoints for connecting the tilting screw with the carriage, and means forrotating the extensible shaft to adjust the platen on its horizontalaxis of rotation.

11. In. an apparatus for photographing titles or the like, thecombination of a frame, a carriage mounted to move along the frame, aplaten-base mounted to move transversely on the carriage and havingvertical guide bars, a platen-carrier guided on the guide bars, a platensupported on the platen-carrier for rotation on a horizontal axis, aswivell-ed nut carried by the platen, a tilting screw passing throughthe nut for tilting the platen, an extensible shaft including universalconnections for connecting the tilting screw with the carriage, meansmounted on the side of the carriage for rotating the extensible shaft.and means mounted at the end of the frame for rotating the extensibleshaft.

12. In apparatus of the kind described, an elongated frame, a carriageguided to move longitudinally on the frame, means for moving thecarriage along the frame, a platen-base guided to slide transversely onthe carriage, an adjusting screw carried by the platen lease, aplaten-carrier guided on the platen base and having a nut cooperativewith the adjusting screw, a platen carried by the platen-carrier, anextensible shaft including universal joints connecting the adjustingscrew with the carriage, and means on the carriage for rotating theextensible shaft.

13. In apparatus of the kind described, an elongated frame, a carriageguided to move longitudinally on the frame, means for moving thecarriage along the frame, a platenbase guided to slide transversely onthe car riage, an adjusting screw carried by the platen base, aplaten-carrier guided on the platen base and having a nut cooperativeIll) with the adjusting screw, a platen carried by the plaLenmarrier, anextensible shaft includ ing univer il joints connectingthe adjustingscrew with the carriage, means on the carriage for rotatiirin; theextensible shaft, a swivelled nut on the platen, a tilting screwcooperating with the last niuned nut and rotatably supported on theplateu-carrier a flexible shaft including univ rsal joints connectingthe tilting screw with the carriage, and means for rotati the lastnaniied eX- tensible shaft from the side of the carriage.

14. In appaiatus of the kind described, the combination of a frame, acarriage guided to move longitudinally on the frame, a traverse screwmounted in the carriage with means for rotating the same from the sideof the carriage, a nut running on the screw, a platen-base guided toslide trans versely on the carriage, a connection between the said nutand the said platen base to enable the nut to move the base to and frowhen the traverse screw is rotated, means for rotating the traversescrew from the end of the frame, and a platen supported on the platenbase.

15. In a machine of the kind described, the combination of a frame, acarriage,

means for guiding the carriage longitudi- 'on the feed screw,

16. In a machine of the kind described, the

combination of a frame, a carriage, means for guiding the carriage tomove longitudinally of the frame, a feed screw extending longitudinallyof the frame, a nut mounted a knuckle head pivot ally supported on thecarriage on an axis permitting limited movement of the knuckle head in aplane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the frame and a pin andsocket connection between the nut and the knuckle head, said nut andsaid knuckle head cooperating to permit sli 'ht lateral movements of thecarriage with respect to the nut to allow for faulty alignment of thefeedscrew and the guiding means.

Signed at Universal City, Calif, this 4th day of June 1925.

SIDNEY J; TYVINING. FRIEND F. BAKER

